In a previous unit labeled “PASSION VS DREAM CAREER APPROACH” we defined these 6 steps

STEP #1 Explore different options. Learn all you can about the world. Test yourself out. Explore a variety of things.

-Early in your career practice a variety of skills. Try out different jobs. 

-Explore the world.  Learn more about yourself.  You don’t know, what you don’t know. 

-Conduct “informational interviews” with people in different careers.  Use internships/part-time volunteering as a way to explore different career options

STEP #2 Acquire skills that are in demand by society.

-Develop a specific skill that is deemed reasonably unique and IMPORTANT TO BOTH YOU & SOCIETY

-You can loosely look to your “passions” in choosing the specific skill to develop.  For example your current interests, skills, work you enjoyed in the past, events/situations you enjoyed in the past, personality, values, lifestyle, natural aptitudes, can provide some clues as to what skill you can develop and become really really good at.  We will be looking at these varying personal attributes in later units

STEP #3 Work in a job/career where you have power

-Power to effect positive change

-Power typically comes when you are skilled and experienced

STEP #4 Solve a Problem. This is your goal

-Look out into the world and find a solution to a significant societal problem or issue.  Use your skill to solve this societal problem.  This is your goal.  Some of you will look to work in a career that looks to alleviate large, complex, world wide societal issues.  Others will work in a career looking to solve issues on more of a local and/or 1:1 basis.  This work can be done in the for profit as well as not for profit realm

STEP #5 Be Flexible

-At the end of this course you will have completed a very important step.  You will have chosen an initial societal problem to solve. You will have chosen an initial skill set to develop.  You will have chosen an initial and specific career path to embark on.  But it is still a “path”.  A “journey” that will follow you through life and follow a course impossible to fully predict or navigate ahead of time.  At the end of this course you create an A,B, C option 10 year career plan.  Meaning if option a does not work out you move on to option b and then if necessary option c

STEP #6 Passion

-Passion typically comes last.  When you become an “expert” in a career that adds value to society, you will feel fulfilled, HAPPY and PASSIONATE about your work.  

John:  A Client Example

John just received his graduate degree in Architecture.  He bought my eCourse because he seemed to like and be good at architecture but wanted to explore other career options.  He is considering 3 different career possibilities within the field of architecture.  At university and during summer breaks John had explored a couple of options as discussed in Dream Career Approach: Step 1

-He completed an internship at an architectural  firm

-He completed a second internship with a general contractor who specializes in building single family homes.

-He volunteered at a local food kitchen distributing food

-He started and ran his own handyman and home repair business on summer breaks

3 Potential Career Choices

Pros:

High Salary – John could have a nice lifestyle.  He is also considering donating part of his salary to charity.  (Earning To Give Model Discussed In Previous Module)

Prestige – He could tell all his friends he was working for one of the largest international architecture firms

Unsure:

Acquire Skills That Are In Demand By Society- John is told by the hiring manager that he will be first learning and tasked on how to reduce construction costs.  John feels feels this might be an important skill.  But, he does not know how he will be reducing construction costs. Will he be forced to recommend building materials that are bad for the environment?  Building materials that are sourced from vendors that don’t pay their employees a living wage.  John does not have any autonomy or control over his working day.  He feels it may be many many years before he does gets any real POWER (see below)

Cons:

Not Focusing On Solving A Pressing World Problem – John’s initial role is to help multinational companies reduce construction costs by simplifying construction processes/design and finding less costly building materials.  John feels a career that reduces construction costs could have value.  He does not feel it is one of the world’s most pressing problems.  Another issue is John has no idea what companies he will be working for.  Will he be helping a company that is actively causing a societal problem?  For example lowering the construction costs and increasing the profitability of a cigarette manufacturer?

Power-John does not feel that now or anytime in the near future he will have any real influence or autonomy in making crucial decisions

Not Working In John’s “Small Goal”-  In a previous module you defined both your “Big Goal” and “Small Goal”.  In bold below is how John defined his “Small Goal”.   John would not be working in his chosen “Small Goal” if he took this job

Big Goal: “Global Housing”

Small Goal: “Providing safe, livable, and quality shelter to those most in need”

Unsure:

Nothing unsure

Pros:

Prestige – He could tell all his friends he is working to help the needy acquire quality shelter

Acquire Skills That Are In Demand By Society –  There are only 2 architects working for this non-profit. John will be responsible for all aspects of housing design- heating/ventilation, plumbing, lighting, understanding local building codes, building materials, managing contractors, etc..  John is early in his career.  He feels he needs to understand the whole design/construction process before he potentially makes a decision to narrow his architectural scope.  He feels having full knowledge of his field will create more career options in the years to come.

Focusing On Solving A Pressing World Problem –   John feels that providing housing to those in need is helping to solve a pressing world problem.

Power –   There are only 2 architects in the non-profit.  John feels the lead  architect will be a good mentor. John feels that he will soon have real power in making crucial decisions.

Working In John’s “Small Goal”-  In a previous module you defined both your “Big Goal” and “Small Goal”.  In bold below is how John defined his “Small Goal”.  John would be working in his chosen “Small Goal” if he took this job. However, John feels the people in most need are located outside of the United States.  His goal is to gain experience in this local non-profit and then use his skills to embark on a career working for an international non-profit solving the world’s housing crisis

Big Goal: “Global Housing”

Small Goal: “Providing safe, livable, and quality shelter to those most in need”

Unsure:

Medium Salary – John could have a reasonably nice lifestyle.  He is also considering donating part of his salary to charity.  (Earning To Give)

 

Pros:

Acquire Skills That Are In Demand By Society –  John will be a solo practitioner responsible for all aspects of housing design- heating/ventilation, plumbing, lighting, understanding local building codes, building materials, managing contractors, etc..  Since he is early in his career John feels he needs to understand the whole design/construction process before he perhaps makes a decision to narrow his architectural scope.  He feels having full knowledge of his field will create more career options in the years to come.

Prestige – He could tell all his friends he was working for himself

Unsure:

Salary? – John is starting a new business.  He will start out having a very low salary with minimal ability to donate to charity.  Time will tell if John is able to successfully grow his business

Power-  John works for himself and has autonomous decision making.  He is just not sure how valuable having power over custom home design really is

Cons:

Not Focusing On Solving A Pressing World Problem – John’s helps the wealthy build their dream homes. He does not feel this is one of the world’s most pressing problems.

Not Working In John’s “Small Goal”-  In a previous module you defined both your “Big Goal” and “Small Goal”.  In bold below is how John defined his “Small Goal”.   John would not be working in his chosen “Small Goal” if he took this job

Big Goal: “Global Housing”

Small Goal: “Providing safe, livable, and quality shelter to those most in need”

John’s Career Decision

John is only part way through this eCourse and wants to learn more about his career options, career decision making concepts, and his own skills, interests, and personality before making a final decision.

He has ruled out Career Choice #3 because he feels a career building custom homes will not solve a significant world problem. He feels getting really good at building custom homes is not a skill worthy of his time needed to get really really good at.

He is considering Career Choice #1 primarily because of the high salary.  John wants to own expensive things.  John also fully realizes how much value there is in donating a good portion of your income to a worthy charity.  Sometimes donating significant amounts of money to a worthy charity is more impactful than actually working directly within that cause.  John is worried that if he took job #1 he would quickly lose motivation and not do his best work.  John feels that if he does not do his best work-he will either quit or get fired.

So far John likes Career Choice  #2 the best- working on or near his “Small Goal”, autonomy, developing important skills, good if not great salary.  John feels that Option 2 supports his vision of a personal legacy

LEGACY

Legacy is an important concept.  It is often overlooked by the young.  John is envisioning his legacy.  At age 90, and on his deathbed how would he view his career legacy?

Career Choice #1- He traveled the world helping organizations reduce their construction costs.  Some of these organizations were companies that added value to the world.  Others did not.  Some of the vendors he bought construction supplies treated their employees well.  Others did not.  John earned a nice salary and donated a small amount to charity-adding some real value to the world.  John provided well for his family. They were in need of very little- custom home, clothes, cars, vacations and was able to provide quality education for his children.

Career Choice #2- He spent several years working on the local level- building quality, affordable, subsidized housing for those in need.  He was put in charge of the local non-profit and learned other valuable skills- management, accounting, fundraising, building relationships with government officials, bank financing, etc… After becoming an expert in his field he started his own non-profit.  His focus was helping house the poorest people in the world as listed in link below

23 POOREST COUNTRIES

Specifically building housing in countries where a person’s average monthly income is less than  $100 USD.  By the time of John’s death his non-profit was similar in size and scope to an existing non-profit called “Habitat For Humanity”.  John earned a nice salary as CEO of multi-national non-profit and provided well for his family. Most importantly his children learned valuable life lessons from their father and will continue to build the organization upon John’s death.  Some statistics about “Habitat For Humanity”:

#1 – Habitat For Humanity was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller

#2 – Habitat For Humanity was founded in 1976

#3 – Habitat For Humanity has provided housing for 6.8 million people

LINK TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HISTORY

Career Choice #3-  John had some pretty lean years starting his own custom home design business.  After several years he gained traction in his local market.  He had some good years and some bad-often dictated by local economic conditions since his product-high end custom home design is considered a luxury item.   He was able to provide reasonable well  for his family and enjoyed driving through his hometown admiring the homes he designed over the decades.  He never gave any money to charity due to the volatility in his industry.

John envisioned his last day on earth.  Looking back on his life, what career option would he be most proud of? Reduce international construction costs (option #1), provide housing to 6.8 million of the poorest people on the planet (option #2) , or design really luxurious custom homes (option #3).

It was an easy choice for John, he choose option #2.

Read more about choosing a high impact career